Vehicle-hub.



No. 7||,s|s Patented Oct. 2|, I902 J. c. BLEDSUE & A. A. BILYEU.

VEHICLE HUB.

(Application filed June 24, 1992.) (N o Mode-l.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT CFFTCE.

JOHN CHARLES BLEDSOE AND ADAM ALFRED BILYEU, OF TALALA, INDIAN TERRITORY.

VEHICLE-HUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,816, dated October 21, 1902.

Application filed June 24,1902. Serial No. 113,023. {No dqi.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN CHARLES BLED- son and ADAM ALFRED BILYEU, citizens of the United States, residing at Talala, in the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, have invented anew and useful VehicleHub,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-hubs, and in particular to sectional hubs, the object of IO the invention being to provide certain new and useful improvements whereby the hubsections may be conveniently assembled in setting up the Wheel and also adjusted to tighten the hub, the spokes, and the tire of I 5 the wheel should any of these parts become loosened by wear. It is furthermore designed to provide for correcting the dish of the wheel Without taking the latter apart and, in fact,

without removing it from its axle.

With these andother objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is. a perspective view of a hub embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the box or body of the hub. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the spoke-sockets.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a tapered cylindrical metallic box or tubular body portion 1, which has a smooth tapered bore for the reception of an ordinary spindle 2 of the axle 3 and is externally screw threaded at opposite ends, as shown at A and 5. At about the middle of the box or body, but slightly nearer the inner end thereof than the outer end, is a circumferential series of longitudinally-disposed ribs 6, which project at opposite sides of the member, but terminate short of the ends thereof. These ribs are formed integrally with the box and have their inner ends terminated in abrupt shoulders disposed at substantially right angles to the box and all in the same vertical plane, thereby forming a circumferential shoulder which lies at the inner end of the screw-threaded portion 4. The outer longitudinal faces of the ribs are parallel with the adjacent portions of the box, and their outer ends are undercut, as at 7, so as to form tapered wedgeshaped overhanging shoulders, all of which combine with the box or body to form a tapered contracted circumferential seat. It will here be observed that the ribs 6 are spaced at regular intervals, and therefore constitute an enlargement having a plurality of longitudinal grooves or seats.

For each of the grooves between the ribs 6 there is a spoke-socket S, which is provided upon its under side with a reduced longitudinal rib or tongue 9 to fit in one of the grooves between the ribs 6, the lower faces of the socket and the rib being longitudinally bowed or curved so as to rock upon the box orhub-body. Theoppositelongitudinalsides of the socket are tapered in opposite directions from the middle thereof toward its ends, and these faces are also tapered transversely inward, whereby the socket is in the form of a wedge. Near the inner end of the socket is an outwardly-directed integral enlargement 10, which is provided in its outer end with an oblong or polygonal recess orvseat 11, and from this enlargement the outer faces of the socket are tapered in opposite directions to the ends thereof. As best indicatedin Fig.

2, it will be seen that each spoke-socket is 0 longer than one of the ribs 6 and projects beyond the outer end of the latter.

For holding the spoke-sockets in place there is provided an inner terminal hub member 12 in the form of a band which is inter- 5 nally screw-threaded tofit the externallyscrew-threaded portion 4 of the box. The inner end of the memberforms a shoulder 13 to abut against the inner ends of the ribs 6 to limit the inward movement of the member, ice and the latter is also provided at its inner end with a flared or substantially conical circumferential flange 14110 embrace the inner ends of the hub-sockets, thereby to form an abutment against which the inner ends of the spoke-sockets normally lie. The outer cylindrical end portion 15 of the band or hub member forms the inner hub-band, which is projected beyond the box and is provided upon its exterior with sets of diametricallyopposite seats or notches 16 for engagement by a spanner-wrench to facilitate the application and removal of the hub member.

The outer end of the hub consists of a member made up of inner and outer band-sections 17 and 18, respectively, of which the inner member is internally screw-threaded throughout its outer half for engagement with the screw-threaded portion 5 of the box, while its outer portion is intermediately screw-th readed for engagement by the interiorly-screwthreaded portion of the section 18. The innor end portion 19 of the section 17 is smooth and tapered, so as to form a conical plug or wedge to pass beneath the outer ends of the spoke-sockets 8 and also beneath the beveled overhanging outer ends of the ribs 6. The outer end 20 of the section l7'is reduced and has a polygonal exterior, so as to form a wrench-seat, whereby the member 17 may be turned to feed the same inwardly and outwardly. The inner end portion 21 of the section 18 is flared outwardly, so as to embrace the outer projected end portions of the spokesockets, while the outer end portion 22 of the section is made cylindrical and provided with notches or seats 23 for engagement by a spanner-wrench to feed the section inwardly and outwardly upon the section 17 and independently thereof. Any ordinary form of hub-attaching nut 24 is applied to the projected screw-threaded end of the axle-spindle, so as to bear against the hub-body or box 1 to prevent displacement of the hub.

As best indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the spokes 25 have their tenons 26 fitted into the seats of the spoke-sockets and are held therein by means of the rim and tire. (Not shown.)

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present form of hub may be conveniently assembled and also taken apart whenever desired, and it will of course be understood that it is designed to have all of the parts made of metal, so as to provide a strong and durable hub.

To take up looseness and wear, the inner or wedge section 17 of the outer end of the hub is adjusted inwardly, so as to simultaneously rock or tilt all of the spoke-sockets, which has the efiect of lengthening the spokes, as the tilting of the spoke-sockets spreads all of them radially outward, thereby drawing all of the parts of the hub into snug engagement and also forcing the rim outwardly into snug engagement with the tire.

When it is desired to give more dish to the wheel, the inner hub member 12 is backed off slightly from the spoke-sockets, the hubsection 17 is also backed 0E slightly from the spoke-sockets, and then the outer hub-section 18 is adjusted inwardly, so as to bear upon the upper sides of the outer end portions of the spoke-sockets, and thereby shift the same endwise toward the abutment or hub member 12 and also to rock the same to throw the spokes outwardly, and thereby increase the dish of the wheel.

A very important feature of the present form of hub resides in the fact that it is not necessary to remove the wheel from the spindle in order that it may be adjusted to take up looseness or to correct the dish of the wheel. Moreover, the adjusting parts of the hub are located in position for convenient manipulationthat is'to say, the parts 17 and 18 are located at the outer end of the hub, as these parts are more frequently adjusted than the inner end member 12, the latter being adjusted only when it is desired to correct the dish of the wheel, while the other parts are more frequently adjusted to take up wear and looseness.

Another important feature is that the part 12 forms means to prevent endwise slidable movements of the sockets when the latter are being tilted.

What we claim is- 1. A wheel-hub having a circumferential series of spoke-sockets, means for tilting the same, and means to prevent slidable movement of the sockets when being tilted.

2. A wheel-hub having a circumferential series of independent spoke-sockets, means for simultaneously tilting the same, and means to prevent slidable movement of the sockets when being tilted.

3. A wheel-hub, having a circumferential series of spoke-sockets which are tiltable longitudinally thereof, circumferential adjusting means carried by thehub in cooperative relation with the spoke-sockets for adjustably tilting the same, and means to prevent slidable movement of the sockets when being tilted.

4. A wheel-hub, having a circumferential series of tiltable spoke-sockets, means adj ustable longitndinally of the hub toward and away from the sockets to adjustably tilt the latter, and means to prevent slidable movement of the sockets when being tilted.

5. A wheel-hub having a circumferential series of tiltable spoke-sockets, circumferential socket-adjusting means having a screwthreaded connection with the hub for movement toward and away from the sockets to tilt the same, and means to prevent slidable movement of the'sockets when being tilted.

6. A wheel-hub having a circumferential series of tiltable spoke-sockets, a substantially conical wedgewhich is adjustable longitudinally of the hub to adj ustably tilt the spoke-sockets, and means to prevent slid able movement of the sockets when being tilted.

7. A wheel-hub comprising a box, a circumferential series of spoke-sockets which are tiltable longitudinally upon the box, a hollow substantially conical wedge having a screwthreaded engagement with the box and in cooperative relation with the spoke-sockets to adjustably tilt the same, and means to prevent slidable movement of the sockets when being tilted.

8. A wheel-hub having a circumferential series of spoke-sockets which have rounded edges to tilt or rock upon the hub, a circumferential substantially conical adjustingwedge in frictional engagement with the rounded edges of the spoke-sockets and adjustable toward and away from the same to tilt them upon their rounded edges, and means to prevent slidable movement of the sockets when being tilted.

9. Awheel-hub,'comprisingabox,acircumferential series of spoke -sockets having rounded faces to tilt upon the box, a wedgeshaped ring in frictional engagement with the outer end portions of the rounded faces of the spoke-sockets and adjustable toward and away from the latter to tilt the same.

10. A wheel-hub, comprising a box, a circumferential series of spoke-sockets which are tiltable upon the box, a wedge-shaped ring in frictional engagement with the rounded faces of the spoke-sockets and adjustable toward and away from the same, and an outer substantially conical ring frictionally embracing the adjacent end portions of the sockets and adjustable toward and away from the latter upon the inner wedge-shaped ring.

11. A wheel-hub, comprising a box, a circumferential series of spoke-sockets having inner rounded longitudinal faces to tilt or rock upon the box,,an inner wedge-shaped adjusting-ring screw-threaded upon the box and frictionally inserted between the latter and the adjacent ends of the spoke-sockets, and an outer substantially conical ring frictionally embracing the outer sides of the adjacent end portions of the spoke-sockets and so rew-threaded upon the inner, ring, the outer end of the latter being projected beyond the outer end of the inner ring to give access thereto for adjustment, the two rings being independently adjustable.

12. In a wheel-hub, the combination with a box having its opposite ends externally screw-threaded, of a circumferential series of spoke-sockets disposed intermediately of the box with their inner faces rounded to rock upon the box, a substantially conical ring frictionally embracing the inner ends of the sockets and having internal screw-threads adjustably engaging the inner screw-threaded end of the box, a substantially conical internally-screw-threaded ring adj ustabl y fitted to the outer screw-threaded end of the box with its tapered portion frictionally inserted between the adjacent ends of the spoke-sockets and the box, and a substantially conical ring screw-threaded upon the inner ring and frictionally embracing the outer end portions of the spoke-sockets.

13. In a wheel-hub, the combination with a box, having an intermediate circumferential series of stationary longitudinal seats, of tiltable spoke-sockets fitted in the seats, and means carried by the box in cooperative relation with the sockets for tilting the same in the seats.

14. In a wheel-hub, the combination with a box having an intermediate circumferential series of spaced longitudinal ribs, a circumferential series of tiltable spoke-sockets having longitudinal tongues fitted in the spaces between the ribs to prevent sidewise displacement of the sockets, and means for tilting the spoke-sockets.

15. In a wheel-hub, the combination with a box having an intermediate circumferential series of spaced longitudinal ribs, a circumferential series of tiltable spoke-sockets having longitudinal tongues fitting in the spaces between the ribs, a substantially conical adjusting-ring embracing the inner ends of the spoke sockets and adjustable toward and away from the same, a wedge-shaped or conical ring adjustable longitudinally upon the opposite end of the box and frictionally fitting between the adjacent ends of the spoke sockets and the box, and a substantially conical ring adjustable longitudinally upon the Wedge-shaped ring and frictionally embracing the adjacent end portions of the spokesockets.

16. In a wheel-hub, the combination with an axle-box having its opposite ends externally screw-threaded and its intermediate portion provided with a circumferential series of longitudinal spaced ribs, a circumferential series of spoke-sockets having their inner faces rounded longitudinally and provided with longitudinal tongues fitting in the spaces between the ribs, the outer ends of the spoke-sockets being projected beyond the ribs and the opposite ends of the sockets be ing beveled or tapered, a substantially conical ring adjustably fitted to the screw-threaded inner end of the box and frictionally embracing the adjacent ends of the spoke-sockets, a tapered or wedge-shaped ring adjustably fitted to the outer screw-threaded end of the box with itsinner end portion frictionally inserted between the box and the adjacent ends of the spoke-sockets, and a substantially conical ring frictionally embracing the outer end portions of the. spoke-sockets and adjustably screw threaded upon the wedge-shaped ring.

17. In a wheel-hub, the combination with a box having opposite externally-screW-threaded terminal portions and an intermediate circumferential series of longitudinal spaced ribs which have their outer ends undercut, a circumferential series of spoke-sockets having inner rounded longitudinal faces to rock or tilt upon the ribs, and also provided with longitudinal tongues which fit between the ribs, each socket having an intermediate outwardly-directed enlargement provided with a recess or seat for the tenon of a spoke, and the ends of the socket being tapered outwardly in opposite directions, the outer ends of the sockets being projected beyond the ribs, a substantially conical ring adjustably fitted to the screw-threaded inner end of the box and frictionally embracing the inner ends of the spokesockets, the exterior of the ring having means for engagement by a wrench, a tapered ring adj ustably fitted to the screwthreaded outer end of the box with its tapered portion frictionally inserted between the box and the outer ends of the spoke-sockets and also taking under the undercut ends of the ribs, the outer end of the ring having means for engagement bya wrench, and a substantially conical ring adjustably screwthreaded upon the tapered ring and frictionally embracing the outer end portions of the spoke-sockets, said ring being provided with means for engagement by a wrench.

18. A wheel-hub, comprising a box, a circumferential series of spoke-sockets which are shiftable longitudinally upon the box, an adjustable abutment carried by the box and at one end of the series of spoke-sockets, and adjusting means carried by the box for shifting the sockets longitudinally of the box and into engagement with the abutment.

19. A wheel-hub having a circumferential series of spoke-sockets, which are independently tiltable and shiftable.

20. A wheel-hub having a circumferential series of tiltable and endwise-shif table spokesockets, an adjustable abutment to limit the endwise movement of the sockets in one direction, and means cooperating with the other 0 ment of the sockets when being rocked or 50 tilted. i

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN CHARLES BLEDSOE. ADAM ALFRED BILYEU.

Witnesses:

HIRAM DECKER, CLAUDE BAILEY. 

